| A successful baseball manager knows when it is time | | | | and the disastrous effect his governments |
| to pull his starting pitcher out of the game and bring in | | | | anti-American policies had on numerous investors in |
| his ace reliever. A good poker player knows when to | | | | Venezuelan businesses to understand the dramatic |
| get up and leave the table with his winnings after the | | | | effect the political stability of a nation can have on |
| cards start going against him. A top boxing trainer | | | | your investment dollars. While it is probable that you will |
| knows that sometimes it is better to throw in the towel | | | | have a country or region well researched before you |
| and save his fighter for another night, rather than | | | | invest in companies located there, it is also critical that |
| having him go on all 12 rounds and risk serious injury. In | | | | you constantly monitor the political stability of that |
| the world of sports, the top people know what to look | | | | nation while your money is there. It is equally important |
| for, and know the actions that need to be taken to | | | | to keep an eye on the region as a whole as, |
| give them the best chance for success. | | | | particularly in Latin America and the Middle East, |
| The same holds true with investing and particularly in | | | | changes in some of the larger, more powerful |
| the area of foreign investing. Knowing when it is time | | | | countries in the region can have a dramatic effect on |
| to cash in your overseas investments is every bit as | | | | the countries you may have your dollars invested in. |
| important as finding the right investments in the first | | | | Regional and Multi-national Trends: What is hot in the |
| place. The challenge, of course, comes from the fact | | | | United States is not necessarily going to be a best |
| that your foreign investments are affected by factors | | | | seller in Argentina, or in Germany, or in Singapore. |
| that, in many cases, your US investments are not. | | | | Whether due to economic considerations on the part |
| While it is certainly true that we live in an increasingly | | | | of customers or general taste and preference |
| global economy, those trends and events that affect | | | | changes that are influenced on a national or cultural |
| the New York Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ | | | | level, each unique area of the world has its own trends |
| and specifically the companies that trade there will not | | | | that need to be watched. This is particularly true in the |
| necessarily have the same effects on the businesses | | | | area of consumer goods and manufacturing where |
| you have invested in South America, Europe or Asia. In | | | | what customers are interested in purchasing can often |
| order to maximize the profits of your foreign | | | | times change on a monthly or even weekly basis. |
| investments, it is necessary to monitor a number of | | | | While it is certainly not possible to predict what any |
| factors within the specific regions you are doing | | | | given market will do every time, all the time, by |
| business in and take these factors into consideration | | | | carefully monitoring economic and cultural shifts in a |
| when making the decision on whether to stay with an | | | | given region and keeping a close eye on the |
| investment, or get out. These factors include: | | | | purchasing trends in that region, you will give yourself a |
| Regional Economic Stability: Despite occasional | | | | much better chance of getting your money out at the |
| fluctuations, and upward and downward turns, the | | | | proper time to maximize profits. |
| American economy has been remarkably stable for | | | | The above examples are just three of the many |
| years. While, as any Venture Capitalist can tell you, this | | | | factors that need to be taken into consideration when |
| certainly does not make investing in American | | | | making the decision to stay with a foreign investment, |
| companies a foolproof proposition, devastating, fast | | | | or get out when you feel that the getting is good. While |
| moving economic downturns in the over all US | | | | ultimately the decision on whether to stay or go will be |
| economy are few and, thankfully, far between. This is | | | | based on your basic belief in a particular investments |
| not necessarily the case worldwide. War, natural | | | | continuing viability and profitability, it is critical that you |
| disasters, changes in a specific nations economic policy | | | | not only have access to the most up-to-date |
| and in some areas even revolution all of these factors | | | | information across a broad spectrum of economic and |
| play a part in analyzing a regions economic stability. To | | | | social trends, but also either have or hire the expertise |
| protect your investments, it is necessary to be | | | | to analyze that information as it pertains to your |
| completely familiar with the area in which you have put | | | | specific investments. Overseas investing can be |
| your money, and keep a close eye on both regional | | | | among the most profitable things you can do with your |
| economies and the local economies of the areas in | | | | investment capital, but also one of the riskiest. The |
| which the businesses you have invested in are located. | | | | best way to minimize that risk is to make sure you |
| By watching the economic trends in a specific region | | | | have the tools to allow you to get out with your profits |
| closely during the entire length of your investment, it is | | | | intact, and not stay in the game one inning too long. |
| often times possible to accurately assess exactly the | | | | Author Bio: Steve McLaughlin founded Global Market |
| right time to pull your money out for maximum profit. | | | | Insights, with offices in Europe and the U.S., with his |
| Regional Political Stability and Policy: In the United | | | | vision of giving clients two synergistic competencies: |
| States, every two years national elections are held | | | | knowledge of the global marketplace and industry |
| which influence the direction the nation as a whole will | | | | expertise in manufacturing, finance and information |
| go. But regardless of whether it is the Republicans or | | | | technology. Steve has over twelve years of |
| Democrats who win, the essential stability of our | | | | international experience in three continents, having |
| governmental structure and in most cases the nations | | | | started in executive search as a Beckett-Rogers |
| foreign policies remains basically unchanged. This, | | | | Associate. Steve is a graduate of Rice University, |
| however, is most certainly not the case in many other | | | | where he was student body president, and completed |
| parts of the world where you might have your | | | | post-graduate studies in International Economics at the |
| investments. One need look no further back than Hugo | | | | Universidad Mayor, Santiago, Chile. |
| Chavezs election as President of Venezuela in 1998 | | | | |